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<title>“His ego is so visible; I can almost watch it grow.” by thenorthernwastrel</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23294362">“His ego is so visible; I can almost watch it grow.”</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/thenorthernwastrel/pseuds/thenorthernwastrel'>thenorthernwastrel</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fable (Video Games), Fable 3 (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 11:35:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>685</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23294362</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/thenorthernwastrel/pseuds/thenorthernwastrel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The rebel trio talk shit on you know who.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ben Finn &amp; Hero of Brightwall, Ben Finn &amp; Page (Fable), Hero of Brightwall &amp; Page (Fable), The Hero of Brightwall &amp; Page (Fable)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>“His ego is so visible; I can almost watch it grow.”</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“His ego is so visible; I can almost watch it grow.”</p><p>Page chuckled at the soldier’s remark, and Ben was visibly happy about it, surprised to evoke <i>mirth </i>from her for once. “Well I <i>definitely </i>can,” she pipes in, nodding the industrialist’s way. Reaver was talking to a rather lasciviously dressed guest–or perhaps ‘<i>chatting up</i>’ was a better choice of words. “Look at the way he leers about over them–<i>everyone </i>really, it’s <i>creepy</i>.”</p><p>The Hero–newly the Hero <i>monarch</i>–turned around to set their eyes on the man, indiscreet but unworried. “It really is. I feel like someone should tell him, but…”</p><p>“—But,” Ben chimes in, smirk on his face accentuated by the pink tint of his cheeks summoned by the drink partaken, “we all know what happens when you say something he doesn’t <i>wholly </i>approve of. Though, if anyone had a chance of surviving it unscathed, it’d be you.” He winks over at them, and they tilt their head in agreement as they take a sip of their own drink, seeming to mull it over.<br/>
</p><p>Page rolled her eyes as she continued to stare, though she had to agree with him. “I can’t tell if that person is delighted or disturbed. He’s completely invading their personal space.”<br/>
</p><p>“Oh, they’re probably having the time of their life, honestly.” Ben always chose the wrong times to be honest.</p><p>Page turned to Ben then, disapproving and confused.<br/>
</p><p>“Well you have to admit he’s a good looking guy, right? I mean, morality aside–”<br/>
</p><p>“How can you put just <i>morality </i>aside?” Though her tone was severe, she was obviously just being flippant.<br/>
</p><p>“Well, I can’t, and I’m <i>not</i>, I’m just saying—Look, you know what I mean, right?” He turned to the monarch and touched their arm, desperate.<br/>
</p><p>The Hero covered their mouth in attempt to hide a quiet laugh at Ben’s expense; he always did manage to shove his foot in his mouth when Page was around, but he was going to have to get himself out of this one. They shrugged and put their hands up in defeat.</p><p>“Yes, all right, his sleaziness plays a <i>major </i>factor in judging his attractiveness—All I’m saying is a lot of people don’t <i>care </i>about that, obviously, and if you strip it all away and take him at face value, it’s not bad. If you can get past the soulless eyes and cocky smile.” <i>And everything else</i>.<br/>
</p><p>By this point Page’s face had completely descended into her palm, where it was now shaking. “Don’t say that Ben, don’t even <i>talk </i>like that.”</p><p>He looked to her and then the Hero, completely confused as to why they just weren’t <i>getting </i>what he was saying. Finally he just sat back in his seat and crossed his arms, defeated and frustrated. “Oh, you guys never let me have my way. If you’d just <i>listen</i>—”</p><p>“It’s not that Ben, but the more you complement him the bigger it gets.”<br/>
</p><p>“What?”<br/>
</p><p>“His <i>ego</i>.”<br/>
</p><p><i>Oh</i>. “He can’t even hear us. And I’m not complementing him!”</p><p>Page pointed over, and made a motion up with her finger. “See his hat? <i>That’s </i>where he keeps it. 

The more compliments are said about him, or at least things <i>he </i>thinks of as compliments, the more it gets fed. <i>That’s </i>why it’s so big, and why he never takes it off indoors.”</p><p>“Really? I thought he was just an ass.”<br/>
</p><p>The Hero snorted in the middle of their drink.</p><p>Page smiled. “I think we should stop talking about him and <i>enjoy </i>our evening. This is a party, after all.”<br/>
</p><p>The other two nodded and picked up their drinks in cheers.</p><p>“‘Sides,” Ben starts after taking a gulp, “you know what they say about talking about <i>bad things</i>, ‘specially when they’re right there.”<br/>
</p><p>As though on cosmic cue, the baron’s voice rang behind them, cheery and confident as usual. “And what do we have over <i>here</i>?“</p><p>

Page sighed and crossed her arms; the Hero sat up straighter. <i>Great</i>.<br/>
</p><p>Ben quickly shot the others a pained look of apology before downing the rest of his drink. “Sorry, mates. Jinxed it.”</p>
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